Photo: GoFundMe for Keyaleas Brewer's family
Months after a 16-year-old Black girl was found dead on the side of the road in Seattle, officials have ruled that her death was a homicide, according to local news station KING 5.
Keyaleas Brewer died from asphyxiation due to strangulation, King County Examiner's Office announced Monday (January 23). Her body was found along State Road 509 around 7:30 a.m. on October 7, sparking an investigation that continues to this day. Even more mysterious are the circumstances surrounding her death.
The teenager's shocking death also left her loved ones confused and heartbroken.
“She was my best friend until the day she left,” Madelyn Ernst told KIRO 7 back in October. “When people see a 16-year-old girl that died, I see my shoulder to cry on and someone that I miss laughing with every day.
Residents living in the area say violence and shootings are not uncommon in the area.
"I can't say that I'm too surprised, only because of how people drive on 509 and shoot guns into the air," Michelle Bordeaus explained to KING 5. "I mean, it's so wide open."
The King County Sheriff's Office is asking drivers who were traveling southbound on SR 509 between the First Avenue Bridge and the 112th Street exit that morning to come forward with dashcam footage if they have it. Anyone with tips can contact CrimeStoppers.
Keyaleas' family has also started a GoFundMe page following her death.
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